Folding machine



Feb. 13, 1940.

w. w. bAvmsoN FOLDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 9, 1937 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 13, 1940.

w. w. DAVIDSON FOLDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 9, 1937 Feb. 13, 1940. w. w. I'DAVIDSON FOLDING MACHINE Fil ed Aug. 9, 1957 s Sheets-Sheet 3 I mafia Ward flam'a'sozz 69% 1940- w w. DAVIDSON FOLDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 9, 19257 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 1940- w. w. DAVIDSON FOLDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 9, 1937 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 127110 Wilda/71 7/42/22 7 Dal/$415022 MN Nu Feb. 13, 1940.

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FOLDING MAC-HINE 1 Filed Aug. 9; 1951 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Feb. 1940- w. w. DAVIDSON FOLDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 9, 1937 8 Sheets-Sheet "7 W. W. DAVIDSON FOLDING MACHINE Feb. 13, 1940.

Filed Aug. 9, 1937 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 mam Wa/wwwmm 9 W @2 Patented Feb. 13, 1940 2,190 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" FOLDING mom William Ward Davidson, Evanston, m, "an. or to Davidson Manufacturing Corporation, a corporation of Illinois Application August 9, 1937, Serial N0. 158,100 15 Claims. (CL With-68) In printing plants handling a variety of types From the foregoing it is evident that an object of work the provision of folding machines which of the invention is to provide a folding machine will meet all of the requirements has been a severe of greater flexibility for accomplishing any one problem. The folding to be accomplished may of a variety of series of folds and preferably one I vary all the way from a single fold, as in letters, in which the sheet being folded, passes fewer pamphlets and the like, to a complicated series idle folding units than in former foldingmaof folds some in one direction and some in anchines capable of making the same variations other, such as may be used in folding forms of many pages for books. The folding of book secuse. Further objects and advantages of the invenl0 tions varies widely depending on the number of tion will appear as the description is read in connection wtih the accompanying drawings, in

pages and the manner of binding.

In the past a single machine capable of performing various series of folds including rightangle folds have been extremely complicated and have necessarily included many folding units which would lie idle most of the time, when running simpler folds. Idle folding units not only represent an expensive investment but also furnish opportunities for the paper passing through the machine to jam and furthermore require many extra adjustments every time the machine is changed for a different folding operation.

According to the present invention a greatly simplified machine is provided having extreme flexibility because of new features and particularly because of a new combination of features. In my prior'Patent No. 1,620,444 I disclosed one manner of obtaining flexibility, consisting in the provision between two folding units of a conveyor for carrying the sheet from one unit to sheet 90 or not turning it at all at will. In. its illustrated form the present invention uses this combination in improved form, preferably with a second conveyor capable of turning the paper and with a delivery table or stacking unit which may be attached adjacent to any folding unit so that the sheet may be ejected from the machine at the earliest possible moment, thus reducing the number of idle folding units which the. completely folded sheet must pass and the number of adjustments which must be made to cause the sheet to pass all the way through the machine without being further folded. The combination of the means for turning the sheet after each fold so as to enable subsequent folds to be made in any desired direction and the means for ejecting the sheet to a delivery table at any point is the only way of providing complete flexibility with the 7 minimum number of adjustments and the minimum danger of the sheets jamming as they pass through the machine. Further simplification is secured by providing a simplified form of conveyor table capable of turning the sheet in either direction,

which: 1

Fig. i is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through the machine approximately on the line i--i of Fig. '7, the stacking unit being fragl mentarily shown in one position in full lines. and in two alternative positions in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the stack ing unit showing its mounting on the main frame.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on a larger scale showing the construction of the stacking unit and showing its attachmentto the remainder of thefolding machine, being taken approximately on the line 3-4 of Fig. 2 and some parts being omitted for the sake of clarity.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken approximately on the line H of Fig. 2 and showing the driving mechanism for the stacking stacking unit.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view showing the receiving end of the stacking unit and taken approximately on the line 66 of. Fig. 5.

Fig. 6a is .a fragmentary sectional view taken 85 on line Err-6a of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken approximately on the line 1-1 of Fig. 1, showing the top of the turning table with a sheet of paper proximately on the line 9-9 of Figs. 1 and '7. 46

Fig. 10 is a similar view taken approximately on the line iii-' of Figs. 1 and "I.

Fig. ii is a fragmentary sectional view taken approximately on the line i i-li of Figs. 1 and '1.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the, pressure 60 strip for pressing the paper against the conveyor belt to insure proper movement of the paper.

Fig. 13 is a similar view of the paper guide which the paper strikes and along which it slides.

it. g. 5 is a fragmentary bottom view of the 30 Figs. 14 to 28 are perspective and dlagr receive a blade-like member on' the other. It matic illustrations of the machine with different may be observed that the scoring is not necesadjustments and of a variety of folds which may sary before the first foldbut is usually desirable be made by such adjustments. Th Fig. 14- for subsequent right-angle folds to insure a shows the stacking unit associated with the first smooth fold of the already folded paper. If 1 feed unit for making a single fold such as is thereis to be no subsequent right-angle fold, the shown in Fig. 15. Fig. 16 shows the stacking unit scoring rolls may be separated or moved to one associated with the second folding unit for foldside so as not to score. ing a sheet of paper twice, these folds being either at right angles to one another as showin Deflectors 11 i i s. 18 to 20. Fi 21 shows the stacking un t e s ctated with a th ird folding unit for folding Belew the swing r0118 5 and below h feldeach sheet of paper at least three times, with the t a deflector dh'eehhg the parallel folds as shown in Figs. 22 to 25, for expaper in the desired dh'ectmh away j h ample, or with folds first in one direction and thhhhg "t deflector below feldmghmt then at right angles thereto as shown in Figs. 26 30 1e hxed to threet the folded sheet to h electand 28, or with folds in one direction and then at the folds and 49 the eteehmg hnlt- The right angles thereto and then in the first direcdeflectors at the first two tohhhg units me tion as shown in Fig. 27. The illustrated folds in 1 e emfbeble between the poslhon are merely representative of the almost unlimited shown in fhh hhes and that shown in dotted hhesnumber of folds which can be secured, especially In the fun hhe position the dehecter guldes the l f l in ti ig g gr z fis g g i s h at more specifically, onto the conveyorand turning A preferred embodiment of the invention has table 3 or Wheh deflector 15 1n the hotbed been shown in the drawings and will hereinafter hhe position it guides the folded sheet be described, all as required by sec. 4888 of the to the ejector and 49 whlch wlh then ReziseJ Statutes, but the appended claims are haveheeh hwved wlth the Stackme 7 to the not to be limited by the specific disclosure unless sbwn {meted eeheeeht the required by the prior flector 46 in question. It is evident therefore As seen in Fig. 1, the entire folding machine that the machine may he ahusted to elect the may be supported by a frame i and, briefly stated, includes a feed table indicated more or one of the three fohhhg umts- In other Words: less diagrammatically at 2, a conveying and turning table indicated as a whole by the nupass through the folder I0 and then immediately to the stacking-unit 1. If it is to be folded twice, T h a Second conveymg and turning table it may pass through the first two folders l0 and indicated as a whole by the numeral 4, with 20 d th 1mm d1 t 1 t folding units I0, 20 and 30 positioned at the end an en 8 e y o the stacking unit t of each table, scoring rolls 5 and 6 adjacent to the folding units Ill and 20, and with an ejecting The stacking unit and Steeklhg unit or stacker 7 optionally post As Previously noted, a sheet which has been 40 5 honed adjacent any folding unit to receive the completely folded is passed to the ejector rolls folded sheet therefrom as and 49 by one of the deflectors 46 or 41. The rolls l8 and 49 feed the folded sheet under the Fozdtng umts resilient holding fingers 5| and onto the feed belts 52 which run along the delivery table 53. Althou h the folding unlts ma be of an e, that illusgmted is the buckle t y e The belts 52 are driven by dr1ve roll 54 and exm at 11 ositions. The reference numerals i g in unit lo, 2| in unit 20, and 3| rled by the stacker frame 56, as are the ejector in unit so, the last digits being the same for like r9115 and Ihe belts a belt tightening shaft 51 adjustabl parts. The paper is fed to the folding unit i0 from the table 2 either by hand or more 58 secured to the frame 56. The tightening shaft 51 carries an inverted U-shaped belt guide 59 for monly by an automatic feeding device. The construction of the folding units is seen best in Fig. each belt The belts may be poslhohed at any 3, in which the folding unit is that at the third mint laterally e table 53 by position, the feeding and folding rolls being mg the set shrew shdmg the belt guide numbered 3|, 32 and 35. The rolls 3i and 32 59 to the dhsn'ed posmon' first receive the paper and feed it into the buckle That which has herhtqfc're h caheh the chute as, which it enters freely until it strikes upper etehng h m Feahty a series the paper Stop 34 which stops the forward edge small pressure rollers each plvotally carried by of the paper. since the feeding action of rolls pm m .Whlch 1s pivoted 0h 60 3| and 32 continues, the paper necessarily shaft 19 urged in a direction toward the ejecting buckles into the space between rolls 32 and 35. roh by a spring Seen in The tension The buckled sheet is thus caught by these two of the spring may be adjusted by leoeenihg a Set mus anddrawn in between them to crease the screw 63 and rotating the block 64 on the shaft buckled sheet and thus complete the fold. 'The The lateral meme 0f thelmit may be position of the fold is determined by the position meted at the Same time by Sliding block 64 alone of the paper stop 34 which may be adjusted by shaft 19, arm 6| straddling block 64, and hence loosening the clamping nut 36. The two rolls moving with The Spring fingers 5| are each 32 and 35 continue to draw the paper d wn b carried by a collar 65 carried on a split extension 70,

tween them, drawing it out of the buckle chute of pin 6| whi h may be expand by a screw 65 33 and feeding it to the next unit of the machine. to grip the collar 65 and hold the spring finger In Fig. 1 the sheet passes from the correspond- 5| in any desired position to exert a predetering rolls l2 and i5 to the scoring rolls 5, one of mined tension on the, folded sheets passing which may be grooved or formed of rubber to thereunder. 5

is merely necessary to Detachabilitfl of stacking unit As previously noted, an important feature of the invention is the ability to place the stacking unit adjacent each of the folding units so as to receive the folded sheet directly therefrom if desired. The manner of attaching the stacking unit to the main frame I is seen best in Figs. 2, 3 and 5. The frame 56 is provided on each side with a bifurcated extension 66 which engages a pin 61 mounted on frame I as seen best in Fig. 2. The frame 56 also carries a pin 68 on each side adapted to extend into a suitablelhole in the frame I as is also seen best in Fig: 2. Each pin 68 is urged into its engaging position by a leaf spring 68 and may be withdrawn therefrom by a releasing lever 18 which is the frame 56 by a screw 1|. The lever 18 operates the pin 68 through a screw 18 which fits boththe lever 18 and the spring 68 with sufflcient play to prevent binding. As is evident from Fig. 5, the actuation of the handles 12 of lever 18 in the direction of the arrows thereon will draw the pins 68 out from the frame I, thus permitting the entire stacking unit to be slipped away from the frame I and the remainder of the folding machine, the bifurcated extensions 66 slipping freely away from the pins 61. In reinserting the stacking unit at another position it slip the bifurcated extensions 66 onto the pins 61 at the other position,

Y aline the pins 68 with the corresponding holes in the frame I, and release the handles 12 to permit the springs 68 to press the pins 68 into these holes. The stacking unit is thus secured in place quite firmly.

Drive for stacking unit- It is desirable that the drive be such that it will be automatically connected and disconnected as the stacking unit is attached to and removed from the main frame. In connection with each of the folding units there is provided on the frame I a gear 16 (Fig. 4) which is driven in any suitable manner with the folding unit. In the case of the last folding unit 88-the gear 16 may be on the shaft of the folding roll 85; in the other folding units it may be on a scoring roll shaft. The detachable frame 56 carries an idler gear 11 which is positioned to mesh with the gear 16 when the stacking unit is in place. It will be observed that the'gear 11 is somewhat under the gear 16 since the stacking unit will usually be shoved into engagement with pin 61 first and then swung upwardly about this pin to its final position. This by the frame 56. The gear 18 performs two funcfixed on the shaft 8| 48, and also turning be the hub of the tions, rotating the gear 88 of the lower ejecting roll an eccentric 82 which may gear 18.

The eccentric 82 reciprocates a follower link 88 which is pivoted to a segment 84 which is pivoted on the shaft of the drive roll 54 for the belt 52. The segment 84 carries a pawl 81 which is urged by a suitable spring against a ratchet wheel 88 keyed to the shaft 85. It is thus seen that with every revolution of the gear 18 and its eccentric 82 the segment 84 is drawn upwardly and thrust downwardly. In its upward movement the pawl 81 rides over the teeth of the ratchet 88, but on its downward movement they engage the teeth and turn the ratchet 88 and hence drive the belts 52 a suitable distance in the forward rockably secured to- Conveying and turning tables If more than one fold is desired in the sheet the deflector 46 below scoring rolls 4| and 42 will be set as shown in full lines in Fig. 1 to guide the folded sheet onto the conveying and turning table 3 which will feed the sheet to the second folding unit or, more specifically, to the rolls 2| and 22 thereof. If it is desired that the fold formed by this second folding unit be at right angles to the first fold, this can be accomplished by turning the sheet through According to the present invention the turning of the sheet is accomplished by an improved form of table, construction of which is best seen from Figs. 1, '1, and 9 to 13. The table includes a table top 8| which may be supported from the frame I in any suitable manner as by brackets 82 and A feed belt 85 slides belt passes around an idler roll 81 at its lower end and may be tightened and positioned laterally of the table by tightener and guide 86 similar to the tightener 51-58-58 of Fig. 3. The folded sheet is passed onto the belt 85 from the deflector 46 and is carried under a guide strip IIII which is positioned by bracket I82 sliding on bar I83 and bracket I84 sliding on bar I85. The strip is positioned directly over the belt 85 wherever the belt may be positioned by belt guide 88 and is secured in this position by set screws,|86. The guide strip |8| may be provided with any means such as the marbles I81 for pressing the sheet against the belt 85 with relatively little friction, so as to insure the proper movement of the sheet by the belt.

Resting on the table top 8| and preferably extending under the belt 85 is a paper guide I seen in Fig. 13. This paper guide is positioned properly with respect to the belt 85 and guide strip |8| by a clamp ||2 secured at any position on the bar I85 by a set screw H8. The paper guide includes a bottom plate portion 4 on which the sheet slides and an edge guiding flange II5 along the inside of which the edge of the sheet slides after the sheet is turned. The edge guide 5 terminates in its upper end with a shoulder I I6 forming a turning stop beyond which is an extension 1 which forms a guide over the sheet to insure that the sheet properly engages the shoulder ||6.

In Fig. '1 three positions of the paper sheet being turned are shown in dotted lines. At I2I the sheet has been dropped onto the belt 85 and is being moved forwardly by it toward the shoulder H6. At I22 the sheet has struck the shoulder 6 which stops one end of the sheet and the belt 85 has carried the other end of the sheet forwardly, thus turning the sheet. At I28 the belt has turned the sheet through 90 and has carried it beyond the shoulder H6. The lateral inclination of the belt 85 is now pressing the sheet against the edge guiding flange II5,

thus insuring the accurate lateral position of the- To be sure that the sheet does not jam, a pressure roller I24 supported from the guide strip IOI by spring urged arm I25 may be provided to press the paper firmly against the belt 95. Anadditional roller I28 is supported by pivoted arm I29 carried by a post I30 on guide extension III. This roller aids in accomplishing the smooth turning of the sheet tending to start the sheet turning momentarily before it strikes the shoulder II6 so that there is nodanger that the shoulder II 6 will mar the edge of the sheet, and preventing the sheet from bouncing-away from shoulder II6.

Reversed turn For some folding efiects it is desirable to-turn the sheet in the opposite direction from that illustrated in Fig. 7. This may be accomplished as seen in Fig. 8 by providing a paper guide 2 similar to the paper guide III but positioned on the opposite side of the machine and by changing the belt and guide strip IM to position them near and incline them toward the paper guide 2I I. The guide strip IOI may be shifted for this purpose by loosening the set screws I06. The belt 95 may be positioned laterally by sliding the belt' guide 98 along on its supporting shaft as described in connection with vthe belt tightener 59.

In order to incline the belt 95 in the opposite direction, as shown in Fig. 8, it is necessary to reverse the angular position of'the rolls 96 and 91 carrying this belt. To this end the rolls 96 and 91 are journaled in bearing blocks I36 which are pivoted to slide bars I31 and I38. As seen best in Fig. 10, the slide bars are supported by and slide with respect to bracket 92. A handle I39 may be rigidly secured to the slide bar I31 and extend outwardly from the frame I to facilitate shifting the slide bar I37. The slide bar I38 is operated in synchronism with the slide bar I 31 by means of a lever I40 pivoted by a pin I4I to the cross bar I42 of the frame I so that when the slide bar I 31 is moved in one direction the slide bar I 38 is automatically moved in the opposite direction. Any suitable means may be provided for securing the slide bars I31 and I38 in the adjusted position as, for example, the spring pressed detent I49 which fits into a hole in slide bar I31, preferably being releasable only by drawing out handle I50. The belt I43 should, of course, be driven from a position equidistant from the two positions of the pulley on roll 96 to permit the reversing of the angularity of the rolls 96 and 91 as already described, and so that the belt will be tight in both positions.

The lower feeding table 4 may be substantially the same as the feeding table 3 already described, although it has not been to turn the sheet in either direction at will.

Additional folding units Although the folding units I0, 20 and 30 have each been illustrated as only a single folding unit, it should be understood that additional folders may be provided at each position if desired. For example, at either or both of units I0 and 20 there may be two or more folders. Such multiple folding units are well known and therefore need not be specifically described. The arrangement of such multiple folding units should be such as to cause the sheet to pass through all sections thereof to form two or more parallel folds in the sheet or to skip all but one of the sections so as to form only one fold in the sheet at this position.

deflector 46 at folding unit lines adjacent deflector 46 in Fig. 1.

illustrated as reversible Operation When a fiat sheet is fed along the table 2 to rolls II and I2, these rolls feed the sheet into buckle chute I3 until it strikes the paper stop I4, after which the sheet buckles and is caught between folding rolls I2 and I5 which feed the folded sheet between the scoring rolls 4I and 42 unless intervening folders are provided in connection with folding unit I0. If there is to be no subsequent folding, the scoring rolls 5 may be separated so as not to score paper, and the I0 is swung-to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1 to cause the sheet to be ejected at this point as from this deflector 46 as indicated by the dotted It is thus seen that the sheet is removed from the machine immediately after its folding is complete so that there is no chance for the machine to become jammed as the sheet passes subsequent folding extension I". Y

If the next fold is to be atright angles to the preceding fold, one end portion of the paper strikes the roller I28 and shoulder II6 which stop this end of the paper, causing the paper to be rotated through 90 as it is carried on by the belt 95, against which the paper is pressed firmly by the roller 124. After the sheet has lined up for the next sheet guide III is. retained, the roller I28.may

be swung to an inactive position and the machine may be adjusted to cause the paper to strike the edge guide 5, after it has passed the stop .6. It will be understood of course that the feed table 2 will have an edge guide or jogger for determining the lateral positionat which the sheet starts'through folding unit I0 and hence its initial lateral position stop 24, at which time it buckles and is caught between rolls 22 and 25. From these it is fed between the scoring rolls 6 which are separated times to form any three folding folding unit to pass to the deflector 40 associated with folding unit II is set'to the position shown in full lines in N8. 1 and feeds the sheet to the feeding table 4 which carries it to the folding unit not as may be required. 1 makes the final fold in the. sheet in the manner already described, after which the flxeddeflector 41 directs the sheet to the ejecting rolls 48 and 49' of the stacking unit, which pass the folded sheet onto the intermittently moving belts 52 to stack the completely folded sheets in overlapping relationship as seen in I ig. 21;

From the foregoing and referring to Figs. 14 to 28 it is evident that the folding machine of this invention is capable of numerous combinations of folds even with only one folding unit at each folding station, and in each instance the folding is accomplished in the simplest possible manner. Thus, if a single fold is desired, the stacking unit is placed adjacent the first folding unit it as indicated in Fig. 14 and the sheets are folded as seen in Fig. 15 without passing through any of the remainder of the machine. Accordingly, no adjustments need be made in the remainder of the machine and there is no danger of the sheet jamming in passing subsequent folding units.

If the sheet is to be folded twice, the stacking unit I is placed adjacent the second folding unit 2|! as seen in Fig. 16, thus making possible the various folds shown in Figs. 1'? to 20 without necessitating any unnecessary adjustments and without danger of jamming due to passing idle folding uni Similarly, if it is desired to fold the paper three of the folds shown .in Figs. 22 to 28 or perhaps many others, the stacking unit I is positioned adjacent the folding unit 30 and the paper is folded successively by' each of the units (some of which may be double or triple folding units if desired). It is evident that since the sheet may optionally be turned 90, both on table 3 and on table 4, a very large number of possible combinations of folds is available. Furthermore, with the belt and edge guide member III in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 21 the sheet will be turned in one direction, while in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 21 the sheet will be turned in the other direction, thus providing still more varieties of folds. As seen in Figs. 26 and 28 a right-hand turn on table 3 and no turn on table 4 results in folding one end flap under while the other may be folded under by changing table 3 to make a left-hand turn.

I claim:

1. A folding machine adapted to make op- .tionally a single fold, parallel folds, or rightangle fo ds, comprising a conveyor table, a folding unit at each end of the table, optionally effective sheet turning means associated with the table and positioned between the folding units, means between the first folding unit and the table for optionally causing a sheet from the ferent direction,'and a stacking unit optionally secured adjacent either of the folding units for receiving the sheet directly from said last named means or from the second folding unit.

2. A folding machine adapted to make optionally a single fold, parallel folds, or right-angle folds, comprising a conveyor table, a folding unit at each end of the table, optionally effective sheet turning means associated with the table and positioned between the folding units, means betable or in a difunit and the table for from the folding unit tween the first folding optionally causing a sheet to pass to the table or in a different direction, and delivery means optionally secured adjacent either'of the folding units for receiving the sheet directly from said last named means or from the second folding unit, said delivery means including a pair of rolls for seizing the sheets presented thereto and ejecting them from the machine.

3. A folding machine adapted-to make optionally a single fold or a plurality of folds in a sheet, comprising a conveyor table, a first folder at the receiving end of the table, a second folder at the delivery end of the table, delivery means attachable in different positions .for receiving folded sheets directly from each folder optionally, and means between the first folder and the conveyor table for optionally causing the sheets to pass to the conveyor table or to the delivery means.

4. A folding machine adapted to make a single fold or two folds at right angles in a sheet, comprising a conveyor table, a first folder at the receiving end of the table, a second folder at the delivery end of the table, means associated with the table and positioned between the folders for turning the sheet, delivery means attachable in different positions for receiving folded sheets directly from each folder optionally, and means between the first folder and the conveyor table for. optionally causing the sheets to pass to the conveyor table or to the delivery means.

5. A folding machine adapted to make a single fold or two folds at right angles in a sheet, co prising a conveyor table, a first folder at the receiving end of the delivery end of the table, means associated with the table and positioned between the folders for turning the sheet, delivery means for receiving folded sheets directly from each folder optionally, and means between thefirst folder and the conveyor table for optionally causing the sheets to pass to the conveyor table or to the deliverymeans, each of the folders including drive gears, and said delivery means being readily detachable and attachable adjacent either folder and including drive gears which, upon attachment of the delivery of the folder adjacent which the delivery means means, mesh with the drive gears is attached.

6. A folding machine adapted to make. optionally one, two or three folds, successive folds being optionally at right angles or parallel, comprising a pair of conveyor tables, a first folding unit at the receiving end of the first table, a second folding unit between the tables, and a third folding unit at the delivery end of the second table. means associated with each table and positioned between the folding units at the ends thereof for conveying the sheets along the table, without turning if parallel folds are desired and for turning the sheet if right-angle folds are desired, delivery means attachable in different positions for receiving folded sheets directly from each folding unit optionally, and means between the first two folding units and the conveyor table following each respectively for optionally causing the sheets to pass to the conveyor table or to the delivery means.

'7. A folding machine adapted to make optionally one, two or three folds, successive folds being optionally at right angles or parallel, comprising a pair of conveyor tables, a first table, a second folder at the folding unit at the receiving end of the first table, a second folding unit between the tables, and a third folding unit at the delivery end of the second table, means associated with each table and positioned between the folding units at the ends thereof for conveying the sheets along the table without turning if parallel folds are desired and for turning the sheet if rightangle folds are desired, the turning means associated with the first conveyor table being optionally effective to turn the sheet in either direction, delivery means attachable in different positions for receiving folded sheets directly from each folding unit opeionally, and means between the first two folding units and the conveyor table following each respectively for op- 1 tionally causing the sheets to pass to the conveyor table or to the delivery means.

8. A folding machine adapted to make optionally a single fold, right-angle folds, and parallel folds, comprising a conveyor table, a folding unit at each end of the table, optionally effective sheet turning means associated with the table and positioned between the folding units, and delivery means for receiving folded sheets at either end of the table, said delivery means permitting any one of the above mentioned types of folds to be delivered from the machine without substantially changing the direction of movement of the sheet except for I making an additional fold or delivering the sheet initial folding unit,

from the machine.

9. A folding machine including a main frame, a pair of conveyor tables one above another carried by the frame, a folding unit carried by the frame at the discharge end of each of said tables, means associated with at least one of the tables optionally effective for turning a sheet thereon, adjustable deflector means carried by the frame adjacent to at least each of said folding units but the last for optionally the next table or away therefrom, and a single delivery unit including an auxiliary frame attachable to the main frame optionally adjacent to each of said folding units and adapted to receive and deliver away from the tables any sheets deflected away from the tables; the main frame being provided with a pair of pins and a pair of holes at each attachment point, and the auxiliary frame having bifurcated members for engaging said pins and manually controlled pins for engaging the holes.

10. A folding machine for sheets adapted to make optionally a single fold, a plurality of parallel folds or a plurality of folds at an angle, in-

cluding an initial folding unit, a subsequent fold ing unit-adapted to' receive the sheet from. the means for conveying the sheet longitudinally of the machine from one folding unit to the next optionally effective for turning the sheet in its own plane to make a subsequent fold at an angle, a stacker for receiving the completely folded sheet and means positioned between the folding units for causing the sheet to pass to the said subsequent folding unit or option-- ally to the stacker.

11. A folding machine for sheets adapted to make optionally a single fold, a plurality of parallel folds or a plurality of folds at an angle, including an initial folding unit, a subsequent folddirecting the sheets onto tioned between ing unit adapted initial folding 5 t, means for conveying the sheet longitudinally of the machine from one folding unit to the next optionally effective for turning the sheet in its own plane to make a, subsequent fold at an angle, a stacker for receiving the completely folded sheet and means positioned between the initial folding unit and the conveying means for causing the sheet to pass to the next folding unit or optionally to the stacker without traversing the conveying means.

12. A folding machine including a series of folding units all adapted to move the sheet longitudinally of the machine, conveying means for conveying the sheet between folding units and adaptable to turn the sheet if desired before each fold after the first to cause each subsequent fold to be optionally either parallel to or at an angle to the first fold, a stacker, andmeans for causing the sheet to pass from any folding unit directly to the stacker whereby the folding units may be used in order until the desired number of folds have been made regardless of the direction of the folds with the result that no adjustment is necessary for the folding units or conveying means located beyond the folding unit with which the stacker is associated.

13. A folding machine including a main frame, a pair of conveyor tables one above another carried by the frame, a folding unitcarried by the frame at the discharge end of each of said tables, means associated with at least one of the tables optionally effective for turning a sheet thereon, adjustable deflector means carried by the frame adjacent to at least each-of said folding units but the last, for optionally directing the sheets onto the next table or away therefrom, and a single delivery-unit including an auxiliary frame attachable to the main frame optionally adjacent each of said folding units and adapted to receive and deliver away from the tables any sheets deflected away from the tables.

14. A folding machine adapted to make optionally a single fold, right angle folds, and parallel folds, comprising a conveyor table, a folding unit at each end of the table, optionally efiective sheet turning means associated with the table and posifor receiving folded sheets at either end of the table, deflecting means positioned between the receiving end of the table and the associated folding unit, said deflector means being optionally eifective for deflecting a folded sheet from the to receive the sheet from the the folding units, delivery means associated folding unit to the receiving end of the table or to the delivery means.

15. A folding machine adapted to make a single fold or two folds at right angles in a sheet, comprising a conveyor table, a first folding unit comprising a single folder at the receiving end of the table, a second folding unit at the delivery end of the table, means associated with the table and positioned between the folding units for turning the sheet, delivery means attachable in different positions for receiving folded sheets directly from each folding unit optionally, and means between the first folding unit and the conveyor table for optionally causing the sheets to pass to the conveyor table or to the delivery means.

WILLIAM WARD DAVIDSON. 

